how to get pictures to display in date order, say date copied

In gThumb go View-->Sort Images. If you haven't installed gThumb then you can do it via Applications-->Add/Remove or via System-->Administration-->Synaptic Package Manager.

In Nautilus (the filemanager) go to
Edit - Prefernces - List Columns

And there you can add some more columns to show and then you can sort by them easily.

Greetings

Oh, I thought you're talking about the order in an image viewer.
Well, if you are in a directory which contains photos taken by a digital camera, sorting by Date or by Name gives the same because names are automatically given in a time sequence. Could it be that's your case? To check this sort them by another criteria - to say by Size.

Thanks, but I tried all these things and the pictures are still displayed in alphabetical order of file name. It seems that even if there were a column "date created", as in Windows, it would still display in alphabetical order of title.

Please be sure your system is fully updated/upgraded with no pending packages or errors:

Open a Terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal and type:
(if the system ask you a password give your user password, you will not see nothing when you type it, then press enter)

sudo dpkg --configure -a

then to update and upgrade and also check pending or missing packages, still using terminal type:

sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoremove

Then retry...

If this doesn't solve please tell us your Ubuntu release. Thank

Hope this helps

I am using Ubuntu Hardy Heron release 8.04,with all the latest releases installed through Package Manager. It didn't seem to make any difference.

Vic,
let me do it instead of you:
Open terminal - Applications-->Accessories-->Terminal.
Marked with the mouse the command

sudo dpkg --configure -a

that marcobra suggested.
Went to the terminal and pasted there the command (right-click-->Paste or Ctrl+Shift+V; hit Enter).
That gives me no report, the command just did not anything because it already is done automatically by Update Manager.

Paste sudo apt-get -f install, Enter- here's the report of the command:

sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libstdc++6-4.3-dev fakeroot g++-4.3 g++ dpkg-dev patch build-essential
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 10 not upgraded.

>>>10 not upgraded because of mine choice not to in Update Manager.

Paste sudo apt-get --fix-missing install:

sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libstdc++6-4.3-dev fakeroot g++-4.3 g++ dpkg-dev patch build-essential
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 10 not upgraded.

Paste sudo apt-get clean

>>>No report.

Paste sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get update
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.canonical.com jaunty Release.gpg
Ign http://archive.canonical.com jaunty/partner Translation-en_US
Hit http://archive.canonical.com jaunty Release
Ign http://archive.canonical.com jaunty/partner Packages
Hit http://archive.canonical.com jaunty/partner Packages
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates Release.gpg
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security Release.gpg
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/multiverse Translation-en_US
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed Release.gpg
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/universe Translation-en_US
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports Release.gpg
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports/universe Translation-en_US
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty Release
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates Release
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security Release
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed Release
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports Release
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/main Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/restricted Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/main Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/restricted Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/universe Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/universe Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/multiverse Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty/multiverse Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/main Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/restricted Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/main Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/restricted Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/universe Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/universe Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/multiverse Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-updates/multiverse Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/main Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/restricted Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/main Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/universe Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/universe Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/multiverse Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/restricted Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/multiverse Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/universe Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports/restricted Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports/main Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports/multiverse Packages
Hit http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-backports/universe Packages
Reading package lists... Done

>>>This command read the repositories and saw/found the updates for my Jaunty.

Paste sudo apt-get upgrade

sudo apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages have been kept back:
  linux-generic linux-headers-generic linux-image-generic
  linux-restricted-modules-generic
The following packages will be upgraded:
  hal libhal-storage1 libhal1 linux-libc-dev linux-restricted-modules-common
  tzdata
6 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 4 not upgraded.
Need to get 1978kB of archives.
After this operation, 28.7kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main tzdata 2009i-0ubuntu0.9.04 [694kB]
Get:2 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main libhal1 0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3 [93.5kB]
Get:3 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main libhal-storage1 0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3 [22.7kB]
Get:4 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main hal 0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3 [395kB]
Get:5 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main linux-libc-dev 2.6.28-13.44 [760kB]
Get:6 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/restricted linux-restricted-modules-common 2.6.28-13.17 [11.3kB]
Fetched 1978kB in 3s (582kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
(Reading database ... 108247 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace tzdata 2009f-0ubuntu1 (using .../tzdata_2009i-0ubuntu0.9.04_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement tzdata ...
Setting up tzdata (2009i-0ubuntu0.9.04) ...

Current default timezone: 'Europe/Sofia'
Local time is now: Fri Jun 12 21:25:47 EEST 2009.
Universal Time is now: Fri Jun 12 18:25:47 UTC 2009.
Run 'dpkg-reconfigure tzdata' if you wish to change it.

(Reading database ... 108247 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace libhal1 0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu2 (using .../libhal1_0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libhal1 ...
Preparing to replace libhal-storage1 0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu2 (using .../libhal-storage1_0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement libhal-storage1 ...
Preparing to replace hal 0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu2 (using .../hal_0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3_i386.deb) ...
 * Stopping Hardware abstraction layer hald [ OK ]
Unpacking replacement hal ...
Preparing to replace linux-libc-dev 2.6.28-12.43 (using .../linux-libc-dev_2.6.28-13.44_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-libc-dev ...
Preparing to replace linux-restricted-modules-common 2.6.28-12.16 (using .../linux-restricted-modules-common_2.6.28-13.17_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-restricted-modules-common ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up libhal1 (0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3) ...

Setting up libhal-storage1 (0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3) ...

Setting up hal (0.5.12~rc1+git20090403-0ubuntu3) ...
 * Reloading system message bus config... [ OK ]
 * Starting Hardware abstraction layer hald [ OK ]

Setting up linux-libc-dev (2.6.28-13.44) ...
Setting up linux-restricted-modules-common (2.6.28-13.17) ...
update-rc.d: warning: /etc/init.d/linux-restricted-modules-common missing LSB information
update-rc.d: see <http://wiki.debian.org/LSBInitScripts>

Processing triggers for libc6 ...
ldconfig deferred processing now taking place

>>>The update found something and the upgrade did it.

Paste sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  linux-headers-2.6.28-13 linux-headers-2.6.28-13-generic linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic
  linux-restricted-modules-2.6.28-13-generic
The following packages will be upgraded:
  linux-generic linux-headers-generic linux-image-generic linux-restricted-modules-generic
4 upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 34.8MB of archives.
After this operation, 173MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic 2.6.28-13.44 [24.6MB]
Get:2 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/restricted linux-restricted-modules-2.6.28-13-generic 2.6.28-13.17 [829kB]
Get:3 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/restricted linux-generic 2.6.28.13.17 [3482B]
Get:4 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main linux-image-generic 2.6.28.13.17 [3466B]
Get:5 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/restricted linux-restricted-modules-generic 2.6.28.13.17 [3486B]
Get:6 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main linux-headers-2.6.28-13 2.6.28-13.44 [8693kB]
Get:7 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main linux-headers-2.6.28-13-generic 2.6.28-13.44 [668kB]
Get:8 http://ubuntu.linux-bg.org jaunty-proposed/main linux-headers-generic 2.6.28.13.17 [3460B]
Fetched 34.8MB in 23s (1471kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic.
(Reading database ... 108247 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic (from .../linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic_2.6.28-13.44_i386.deb) ...
Done.
Selecting previously deselected package linux-restricted-modules-2.6.28-13-generic.
Unpacking linux-restricted-modules-2.6.28-13-generic (from .../linux-restricted-modules-2.6.28-13-generic_2.6.28-13.17_i386.deb) ...
Preparing to replace linux-generic 2.6.28.12.16 (using .../linux-generic_2.6.28.13.17_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-generic ...
Preparing to replace linux-image-generic 2.6.28.12.16 (using .../linux-image-generic_2.6.28.13.17_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-image-generic ...
Preparing to replace linux-restricted-modules-generic 2.6.28.12.16 (using .../linux-restricted-modules-generic_2.6.28.13.17_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-restricted-modules-generic ...
Selecting previously deselected package linux-headers-2.6.28-13.
Unpacking linux-headers-2.6.28-13 (from .../linux-headers-2.6.28-13_2.6.28-13.44_all.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package linux-headers-2.6.28-13-generic.
Unpacking linux-headers-2.6.28-13-generic (from .../linux-headers-2.6.28-13-generic_2.6.28-13.44_i386.deb) ...
Preparing to replace linux-headers-generic 2.6.28.12.16 (using .../linux-headers-generic_2.6.28.13.17_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement linux-headers-generic ...
Setting up linux-image-2.6.28-13-generic (2.6.28-13.44) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
Running postinst hook script /sbin/update-grub.
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-12-generic
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic
Found kernel: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Replacing config file /var/run/grub/menu.lst with new version
Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done

Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common

Setting up linux-restricted-modules-2.6.28-13-generic (2.6.28-13.17) ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic

Setting up linux-image-generic (2.6.28.13.17) ...
Setting up linux-restricted-modules-generic (2.6.28.13.17) ...
Setting up linux-generic (2.6.28.13.17) ...
Setting up linux-headers-2.6.28-13 (2.6.28-13.44) ...
Setting up linux-headers-2.6.28-13-generic (2.6.28-13.44) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/nvidia-common

Setting up linux-headers-generic (2.6.28.13.17) ...

>>>This command did what Synaptic didn't want to because of some dependencies Synaptic was not sure they have to be changed.

Paste sudo apt-get clean

>>>No report

Paste sudo apt-get autoremove

sudo apt-get autoremove
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libstdc++6-4.3-dev fakeroot g++-4.3 g++ dpkg-dev patch build-essential
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  build-essential dpkg-dev fakeroot g++ g++-4.3 libstdc++6-4.3-dev patch
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 7 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 21.8MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
(Reading database ... 127415 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing build-essential ...
Removing dpkg-dev ...
Removing fakeroot ...
Removing g++ ...
Removing patch ...
Removing libstdc++6-4.3-dev ...
Removing g++-4.3 ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...

>>>This command removed some obsolete (to this point) files.

It's not dangerous. If I'm not sure I always can run Update Manager or Synaptic and if there is some inconsistencies I'll be told.

Run Update Manager:

>>>No report of any wrong or needed.

Run Synaptic:

>>>The same. Clicked on "Mark all upgrades" - no upgrades for now.

And my Jaunty is still working well on my very old machine.

Thank you for all the information. I copied and pasted everything suggested,but the response was always:

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded

although it did go through all the checks first.

Help! is this the end of the line?

I think it's not the end of line.
Just wait for the mastodonts like marcobra.
All I can is ask you - do you have the same behaviour of Nautilus (the default file browse)r in the other directories?